Elemental Joy by Cotton Babies (A Review)

Are you excited? I’m excited about the Elemental Joy cloth diaper release!

Whenever something new is released in the land of cloth diapers, it’s an exciting day for addicts and connoisseurs alike. New brands and new styles are intriguing but lately, they’ve come with a bit of a price tag. Whether its the latest Best Bottom AIO or perhaps the newly fitted diaper from Omaiki, these cloth diapers just aren’t cheap. They come with a hefty price tag which not everyone can afford. So, with great grandeur and excitment, I bring to you a quick review of the Elemental Joy cloth diaper from Cotton Babies.

I’ll admit, I’ve only had this three days, so this is more of a first impressions post than anything. Check back in a month, and I’ll compare it to the bumGenius 5.0 and give you a month in the life of the Elemental Joy.

Disclosure: Alright guys, CozyBums and I are working together on changing the conversation around cheap diapers because you totally can shop at CozyBums on a budget (under $300CDN?). This diaper was given me to experiment with and share with you but my opinions are always honest. Also, I use affiliate links to an earn an income when I convince you to buy something. 😉

What’s the Deal?

Cotton Babies is a brand (and store) in the United States. They already produce diapers such as the Flip, Hempbabies, Econobaby and the bumGenius line up (including the Elemental, Freetime, Newborn, 5.0). Owned and operated by Jenn Labit, Jenn seeks to be better and do better in the world. As a courageous entrepreneur, it’s not surprising to see this release of an affordable USA MANUFACTURED cloth diaper.

Elemental Joy is made in the USA with both imported and domestic material. It meets CPSIA guidelines. It’s a pocket diaper with a flat insert, but we’ll go into that later. The insert is made in Pakistan.

Where are you going to get it? At CozyBums of course. CozyBums Diapers is my go-to choice for cloth diapers in Canada. Not only is it a short 5-minute drive from my house, but Kerri is absolutely the sweetest and I love supporting small and determined businesses.

DETAILS, Details, details.

The Elemental Joy is a budget-friendly cloth diaper. Ringing in at under $10 in the United States, the conversion, shipping, and more doesn’t add up as nicely at Canadian Retailers. CozyBums has it currently listed for $13.20 or $11.95 for the diaper and $1.95 for the insert. That’s still one of the cheapest diapers in store.

But what about that diaper? Surprisingly it’s a pocket diaper. With a polyester microsuede (thats my best approximation) pocket and a laminated polyester exterior, the diaper is just like any other pocket diaper. It features an opening in the back, and a similar cut to the 5.0 (but its not identical).

A 3×3 snap on the front offers an adjustable size from 8-35lbs, and a double snap waist gives a close snug fit all around.

Along with the Elemental Joy Pocket cloth diaper is an insert. Unlike the traditional microfibre inserts seen with 75% of other pocket cloth diapers, the Elemental Joy has a flat cloth diaper insert. In hand this looks and feels like the osocozy flat diaper or the imagine flat diaper. A thicker weave 100% flat 27×27 can be folded up and put inside for a natural fibre solution! This is made in Pakistan.

What’s to Love

Big GENEROUS fit! This diaper fits big but perfect. It has a higher rise in the back, and more room all over. I didn’t find it bulky because flat diapers don’t have much fluff to them, but it does cover more of the body. This could be a good or bad thing depending on you. To me, that screams awesome. I don’t really care how big the diaper is, I just want poop and pee to stay in. #lifegoalsSee the trick is to make sure the leg elastic of the diaper goes in the crease. When you put the diaper on you want to fold it like a sandwich to fit there. This gives the best fit possible like my baby girl.

Honest, all diapers look like this now at 35 plus pounds. He has the same snaps as the Elemental but more coverage all over.

Natural Fibre Inserts: If you’re reading this because you want to know whether to buy cheap overseas diapers with microfibre or take the plunge on the Elemental Joy, this is the reason why.

Natural Fibre Inserts are worth their weight in gold, and better yet this flat is cloth diapering made easy. It’s not going to hold any stinks like microfibre, it’s not prone to compression leaks, it won’t shed plastics into our waterways when washed, it doesn’t feel terrible on your hands, and it’s just right for the average kid.

Absorbency: It’s a 27×27″ square piece of fabric with a similar weight and feel of other like products. It’s going to be about average for absorbency. If you kid out pees this he’s on the heavy wetting side of life. But if you’re changing every two hours during the day no problem. Need a boost, add a second or booster in a hemp/cotton/bamboo blend for a trim solution.

Better than a FST: I’m no fan of a FST but I am a fan of this because it got more structure, absorbency and life in it.

Don’t’ stress about folding: Fold it in half, in half, and then in thirds. DONE.

Shake the stress of folding flats away because the extra time it might take to fold a flat diaper is not even comparable to the time some families spend frustrated with microfibre.

Price Point: It’s not awesome considering the Canadian conversion, but it is awesome for a pocket cloth diaper in Canada MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.

Made in the United States: <— seriously. This might not matter to you, but if it does, this is big for a diaper under $15.

It Can’t be PERFECT

Or can it? The Elemental Joy isn’t perfect, but I’m wary of being too heavy on my critique because it is a low-cost cloth diaper and I’ve only owned it a couple of days. At under $9 in the United States and a mere $13.50 Canadian, there will be a few “it could be better” moments. Here they are:

Snaps: The snaps just aren’t the same as my other diapers. I don’t have any cheap overseas diapers to compare them to, but compared to the 5.0 and the Flip, and almost everything else I own there’s just something about those snaps that’s 10 cents cheaper. Even my husband agreed with me as we snapped and unsnapped for a few minutes last night.

Laminated Polyester: The exterior waterproof barrier on this diaper is not the same grade as other diapers in higher brackets. It just isn’t. It feels thin, but that doesn’t mean it’s not durable. Mother-ease cloth diapers are thin but durable. Only time will tell.

It is SO BIG. Baby Girl got on her high waist pants when wearing this diaper. It just sits up so high, especially when you think about the Best Bottom low rise cut. I don’t have a problem with it, it’s similar to the Flip in that regards, and clothes still fit. I’m wary of tiny thigh children just because so if you have a tiny thigh child and this diaper works for you let me know. I know tons of parents with skinny legs love the 5.0 and the Flip, and some don’t.

I’m also not sold on this being the most effectivelow-cost cloth diaper because it is a pocket.

If you cloth diaper you know the most affordable way is to purchase 8 cloth diaper covers and 24 inserts. You reuse the same cover until soiled or stinky and swap out the insert.

You could still do this with the Elemental Joy, and honestly, that’s how I’ll use it because, with 2 in diapers, I would rather not stuff diapers all day. Good thing CozyBums sells them in separates, load up on the inserts and buy only 8 pockets for a surprisingly affordable $142 Canadian! (plus tax and stuff)

Stop, FASTER, and Go.

Available in three prints and three colours, the Elemental Joy is definitely the diaper of the year. This cloth diaper will be making waves into 2018 and changing how we can cloth diaper.

Do I think there are better cloth diapers? Yes.

The 5.0 isbn far superior in quality, but its almost double the price.

Do I think this is a good choice for cloth diapering on a budget? YES.

Did you know Bummis released a new and improved version of their AIO cloth diaper? No? At the end of the November, Bummis released the Pure making a series of significant changes to their already pretty awesome all in one cloth diaper. Check out my review of the previous version here. Disclosure: Kerri from Cozybums dropped one of […]